Monday, 7:30 a.m.
After breakfast, Loren didn't follow Hermione to the library. Instead, he returned to the dormitory.
They say criminals like to revisit the scene of the crime—Loren could finally understand why. It gave him a peculiar kind of thrill.
Back in the dorm, he saw Ron already awake. Thanks to the bracer Loren had given him the night before, Ron had slept soundly and woken earlier than usual. Normally, on Mondays without morning classes, Ron would sleep nearly until noon.
Still groggy, Ron greeted Loren as he came in, then went off to wash up, completely unaware that his rat was gone.
Loren returned the greeting naturally, showing no hint of guilt. Then he went to his bed, pulled out his trunk, and climbed inside to destroy the evidence.
He tucked away the box that held Scabbers into a special case, then stored the case in his personal space—just as Ron's panicked voice rang out.
"Scabbers is gone! My pet is gone!"
The cry, edged with tears, woke Harry and Seamus.
Half-asleep, they stared at Ron, not yet grasping what had happened.
"Scabbers, where are you? Come out!"
Ron tore through his bed, shouting as he searched.
From inside his trunk, Loren poked his head out, watching. A strange satisfaction crept through him at the sight.
When Ron found nothing, he turned to Neville's bed, but there was no trace there either.
His eyes red with tears, Ron's desperation spurred Harry and Seamus into action. They shook out their own bedding, proving Scabbers wasn't hiding there.
Finally, Ron's gaze landed on Loren—his last hope. In Ron's mind, Loren's powerful magic could surely help.
Seeing the plea in Ron's eyes, Loren, the real culprit, felt he had to help. His conscience demanded at least that much.
He pushed open the trunk's lid, beckoning Ron inside. Then, noticing Harry and Seamus staring curiously at the trunk, he waved them in as well.
So the victim and two innocent bystanders entered the criminal's secret lair. In a detective story, this would be the prelude to a tragedy. But this wasn't a detective story.
It was their first time inside. The three descended the trunk's stairs, stepping into an open space filled with furniture and daily necessities.
"Merlin's beard! There's a whole room in here! This is amazing!"
Seamus exclaimed, wide-eyed.
"Cool!"
Harry and Ron echoed his awe. They'd known Loren's trunk was enchanted, but hadn't imagined it would hold such a vast space.
Every boy dreamed of a secret base, and one like this, the envy of friends, was perfection.
Loren, pleased by their reactions, invited them to sit on the sofa in the center. He pulled out bottles of soda and sweets to share.
Harry and Seamus, raised in the Muggle world, recognized cola at once and drank eagerly. Ron, however, eyed the dark, fizzy liquid warily. It looked like a potion gone wrong. Only after seeing the others drink did he dare sip.
At first, the sharp fizz nearly made him spit it out. But after a few sips, the sweetness took hold, and soon he was hooked.
Ron sipped happily, his thoughts dulled by the sugar and bubbles. He nearly forgot Scabbers had vanished—until Loren reminded him.
"Ron, when did you notice Scabbers was gone?"
Ron blinked, then his face crumpled again.
"This morning. After washing up, I was changing clothes, and he didn't crawl out of my pajamas like he usually does."
To Ron, Scabbers was precious. It was a gift from his brother, one of the few things he could call his own.
Just as Loren was about to offer help, a voice called from above.
"Harry, Ron, Seamus—where are you?"
Neville. He had returned after breakfast to find the dorm empty, beds in disarray, and Ron's muffled sobs. Nervous but determined, he shouted.
"We're in here, Neville!" Loren answered.
Neville followed the voice to the trunk, peered inside, and saw the hidden space. With the others already there, he gathered his courage and climbed down.
Loren poured him a glass of soda. Like Ron, Neville eyed it suspiciously and avoided drinking, instead asking what had happened.
Harry and Seamus filled him in, while Ron sat with his face in his hands, sniffling.
"Don't worry, Ron. Pets are bound by magical contracts. Maybe you rolled over in your sleep and squashed him, so now he's hiding," Neville said, speaking with the authority of experience. He even offered to demonstrate his own contract with Leif—only to discover that Leif was missing again.
Ron, half-convinced by Neville's talk, faltered as Neville came up empty-handed.
Sighing, Loren plucked Leif from where he had been hiding invisibly and tossed him to Neville.
"Thanks, Loren. See, Ron? Pets can't leave their masters. They only hide sometimes," Neville said, proudly presenting Leif again.
Ron's eyes brightened. "Maybe I squashed him last night, and now he's hiding…"
Neville nodded vigorously, encouraging him to treat Scabbers better in the future.
But Loren, watching Ron being swayed, decided to intervene.
"I'll try a spell to bring Scabbers back. Ron, you'll have to be kinder to him from now on. Accio Scabbers."
All four boys stared. Minutes passed, but nothing happened. Loren lowered his wand.
Of course, Scabbers was locked away in his personal space. No spell could reach him.
Still, Loren furrowed his brow as though puzzled, playing the part well.
The others exchanged uneasy looks. Loren's spells never failed.
"It must be that Scabbers has left Hogwarts, beyond the spell's range," Loren explained. But doubt lingered in their eyes.
So he raised his wand again. "Accio Crookshanks."
Hermione's ginger cat came flying in, dazed, and landed on Loren's lap.
That convinced them. Scabbers must have run far away.
Ron wailed. "Scabbers, where did you go? How am I supposed to live without you? Just take me with you!"
The others panicked, scrambling to comfort him. The scene dissolved into chaos—until Loren shouted:
"Enough, Ron!"
The sheer force of his voice froze them all.
"Listen. Scabbers was over ten years old. For a rat, even one bound to a wizard, that's extraordinary. He must have felt his life ending and didn't want you to see him die. That's why he left."
Ron stared at him, trembling. "Really, Loren? You're not lying?"
The boy's pitiful look pricked Loren's conscience. As the true culprit, he felt obliged to soften the blow.
"I'll write to Hagrid. He loves magical creatures. I'm sure he'll find you a fine new pet."
He led them out of the trunk, summoned his owl "Spare Rations," and wrote the letter. The owl flew off through the window toward Hagrid.
Watching it disappear, Ron turned to Loren with watery eyes.
"You're not such a bad bloke after all."
In that moment, the pure, foolish sincerity in Ron's gaze was overwhelming.
//Check out my Patreon for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[[email protected]/Razeil0810](http://[email protected]/Razeil0810)